Courses and Syllabi
The University Catalog is the authoritative source for information on courses. The Schedule of Classes is the authoritative source for information on classes scheduled for this semester. See the Schedule for the most up-to-date information and see Patriot web to register for classes.
Art History Spring 2024
Undergraduate
Introduction to the content and principles of the visual arts. Approach varies with instructor. Limited to three attempts.
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1 Section Currently Scheduled
Introduces themes and imagery in art. Approaches and traditions to explore vary with the instructor. Limited to three attempts.
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2 Sections Currently Scheduled
Introduces study, principle, and understanding of art of architecture. Approach varies with instructor; may be historical, geographical, technical, or thematic. Notes: Field trips required. Limited to three attempts.
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1 Section Currently Scheduled
This class will offer a chronological overview of the history of design in the 20th century, including industrial design, communication design, interior and landscape architecture, as well as corporate branding and new media from each period/major design movement. Topics discussed will include major design styles and movements, significant designers, manufacturers, and design-related companies, innovations in technology and material use, and the development of sales, marketing, and user-focused design. Limited to three attempts.
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1 Section Currently Scheduled
Major periods, monuments, and themes of Western art and architecture. Introduces Washington, D.C., museum collections and a historical framework for further study in art history. Covers prehistory, the ancient world, and the Middle Ages. Notes: Designed as a two-course sequence, but each part may be taken independently without prerequisite. Limited to three attempts.
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1 Section Currently Scheduled
Major periods, monuments, and themes of Western art and architecture. Introduces Washington, D.C., museum collections and a historical framework for further study in art history. Covers the art of the Renaissance, the baroque period, and modern Europe and the Americas. Notes: Designed as a two-course sequence, but each part may be taken independently without prerequisite. Limited to three attempts.
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2 Sections Currently Scheduled
Introduces the arts of South, Southeast, and east Asia. Examines aspects of the culture and history of Asia. Discusses monuments and artifacts in a variety of media and their relation to social and historical contexts. Limited to three attempts.
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1 Section Currently Scheduled
Introduces arts of Africa, from antiquity to the present day. Presents a variety of arts In relatlon to their historical and cultural contexts, and makes use of local museum resources. Limited to three attempts.
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1 Section Currently Scheduled
Aspects of the art, archaeology, and culture of ancient Near East and Bronze Age Mediterranean. Approach varies depending on instructor; emphasis may be on Mesopotamia, Iran, Egypt, Anatolia, the Levant, or the Aegean. Limited to three attempts.
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1 Section Currently Scheduled
Introduction to Islamic art, from the time of Muhammad to present. Cultural and regional approach, utilizing local museum collections. Limited to three attempts.
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1 Section Currently Scheduled
History of Roman architecture, sculpture, and painting. Limited to three attempts.
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1 Section Currently Scheduled
Studies in the art of France, Germany, and the Netherlands in the age of Van Eyck and Durer. Limited to three attempts.
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1 Section Currently Scheduled
Explores visual art production since 1980, drawing on regional resources. Examines social, institutional, and political issues in recent art and its markets. Notes: Requires students to work collaboratively and make several field trips, including one Saturday bus trip to New York. Specific topics and assignments vary with the changing art season and instructor. Lecture, discussion. Limited to three attempts.
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2 Sections Currently Scheduled
Explores the arts of Indigenous peoples in the areas that are today the United States and Canada, from the pre-contact era to the present. Arts are discussed in relation to their cultural, regional, and historical contexts. Limited to three attempts.
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1 Section Currently Scheduled
Major movements and important artists in 20th-century Latin American art discussed in relation to social, cultural, and political conditions in the region. Limited to three attempts.
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1 Section Currently Scheduled
Internship with a professional arts institution, organization, or individual in the Washington, D.C., area. Project to be arranged by student in consultation with faculty instructor and field supervisor. Notes: Strongly recommended for advanced art history students seeking exposure to professional work in visual arts. May be taken for 3 to 6 credits, or repeated for up to 6 credits. May be repeated within the degree for a maximum 6 credits.
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1 Section Currently Scheduled
Examines history, theory, practice, ethics, and current problems of collecting and displaying art and artifacts to the public. Emphasizes issues central to museums in Washington, D.C., or museums in other locations; focus varies with instructor. Limited to three attempts.
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1 Section Currently Scheduled
Studies a single topic in medieval or Islamic art. May focus on a particular period, region, or medium, or may explore cultural interconnections within medieval Eurasian world. Notes: May be repeated when topic is different. May be repeated within the term for a maximum 12 credits.
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1 Section Currently Scheduled
Conduct hands-on research with objects or other primary sources. Select particular artifacts or works of art and undertake original research, bringing objects from storage to publication to exhibition. Develop skills in material and visual analysis, critical reading, and academic writing. Focus is on VA/DC/MD libraries, archives, and storerooms. May be repeated within the degree for a maximum 9 credits.
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1 Section Currently Scheduled
Studies a single topic in medieval or Islamic art. May focus on a particular period, region, or medium, or may explore cultural interconnections within medieval Eurasian world. Notes: May be repeated when topic is different. May be repeated within the term for a maximum 12 credits.
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1 Section Currently Scheduled
Graduate
Internship with a professional arts institution, organization, or individual in the Washington, D.C., area. Project to be arranged by student in consultation with faculty instructor and field supervisor. Notes: Recommended for advanced art history students seeking exposure to professional work in visual arts. May be repeated within the degree for a maximum 6 credits.
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1 Section Currently Scheduled
Examines history, theory, practice, ethics, and current problems of collecting and displaying art and artifacts to the public. Emphasizes issues central to museums in Washington, D.C., or museums in other locations. Focus may vary with instructor. May not be repeated for credit.
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1 Section Currently Scheduled
Conduct hands-on research with objects or other primary sources. Select particular artifacts or works of art and undertake original research, bringing objects from storage to publication to exhibition. Produce sophisticated material and visual analysis, present original arguments based on independent research, apply and integrate contemporary theories of display and viewership, and produce refined, sophisticated academic writing. Focus is on VA/DC/MD libraries, archives, and storerooms. May be repeated when the topic is different. May be repeated within the degree for a maximum 6 credits.
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1 Section Currently Scheduled
Topics vary. Notes: May be repeated for credit when topic is different. May be repeated within the term.
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1 Section Currently Scheduled
Offers graduate-level survey in academic art history led by an instructor of record, with input from full Art History faculty. Participants review the current field through lectures, focused readings and group discussions with relevant faculty member. Participants may read in more depth in areas of special interest. Provides preparation for MA exams and professional preparation for teaching. May not be repeated for credit.
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1 Section Currently Scheduled
Topics vary. Notes: May be repeated for credit when topic is different. May be repeated within the term.
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1 Section Currently Scheduled